Steelers Place OLB T.J. Watt On IR, Sign OLB David Anenih Off Titans PS

According to Field Yates, the Steelers are expected to place OLB T.J. Watt on injured reserve with his torn pec. 

The team confirmed the news later on Thursday morning. 

We have signed LB David Anenih to the 53-man roster from the Tennessee Titans’ practice squad and placed LB T.J. Watt on the Injured/Reserve List. @BordasLaw

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) September 15, 2022

Watt will now miss a minimum of four games before he’s eligible to return, which is now expected to be after six weeks after avoiding a more serious injury.

Yates adds the Steelers are signing Titans OLB David Anenih to their roster from the practice squad. 

Watt, 27, is a former first-round pick of the Steelers back in 2017. He played out his four-year, $9.258 million contract and made a base salary of $1.72 million in 2020.

Pittsburgh exercised Watt’s fifth-year option last offseason for $10.089 million in 2021. He then signed a four-year extension worth over $112 million with the Steelers that included $80 million fully guaranteed at signing.

The Steelers recently restructured his deal in order to create $6.75 million in cap space.

In 2021, Watt appeared in 15 games for the Steelers and recorded 64 tackles, 22.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, three recoveries, and seven pass deflections.

In Week 1, Watt recorded six total tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, one interception and two pass deflections. 

Anenih, 23, was a three-year starter at Houston. He was a First Team All-AAC selection as a senior.

He was not selected during the 2022 NFL Draft but signed on with the Titans in May. He was waived coming out of the preseason and re-signed to the practice squad. 

During his college career at Houston, Anenih recorded 99 tackles, 20 sacks, four forced fumbles, and seven pass deflections over the course of five seasons and 56 games.